July's Christmas
by Sweet Lu
Summary: Deeks is undercover on Christmas Eve and fights to protect a girl in trouble. The whole team has a part in this story.


**July's Christmas**

"I don't think we can get any more lights on this poor palm tree, Hetty," Callen said, his eyes wide in exasperation.

"Nonsense, Mr. Callen, you're just not into the spirit of the season," Hetty replied as she handed him another string of multicolored lights. "Besides, the more lights the less I'm reminded that our Christmas tree is not a Douglas fir."

"You're not going to start in on us about the traditions of Christmas again, are you Hetty?" Sam was laughing as he said it, but still got a stern look for his comment. Both he and Callen were charged with doing the Christmas lights and they were not happy about it.

"You two Grinches should count yourself lucky that you are stuck here helping me make Christmas instead of in Mr. Deeks' shoes," She scolded. "Would you rather be here on Christmas Eve having eggnog and cookies or undercover as a homeless man living in a cardboard box in an alley?"

"Hetty's got a point you two," Kensi said rather sadly as she brought over a tray of Christmas cookies. "Deeks has been out there for two weeks already and the case is still ongoing." She missed him. She had been planning their holiday together since the end of November, only to have the LAPD call him back for an undercover assignment that went right through Christmas and maybe even New Years.

"Any idea when he'll be back?" Sam asked as he picked up a gingerbread man and bit off its head.

"I spoke with LAPD this morning and they think the case may wrap up by the end of next week." Hetty looked slightly troubled and Callen picked up on it.

"What kind of case is it, Hetty?" Callen climbed down from the ladder and helped himself to some hot chocolate and a sugar cookie. "You seem worried."

"I always worry when one of you is out there undercover," Hetty said softly. "But Deeks is all alone on this one with no backup and that is always a concern." She poured herself a cup of tea and took a shortbread cookie and ate it in silence.

The agents exchanged looks and Kensi bit her lip as she tried to remember what Deeks had said about his assignment before he left.

"Hetty?" Callen raised his eyebrows as he stared at her. She never liked to divulge information about Deeks' work with the LAPD and Callen wasn't sure she would this time, but he could tell something was bothering her.

"It's a human trafficking case, with a twist," she finally confided. "There is an organization bringing in pregnant women from south of the border to give birth here. They sell the babies to wealthy couples desperate for a child and then dump the mothers back across the border. And if the mothers resist or try to back out of the arrangement, they kill them, after they get the baby, of course."

Everyone was silent as they processed the horror of what they had just heard.

"What's Deeks' assignment? Obviously, if his alias is a homeless guy, he's not the primary undercover." Callen reasoned.

"The LAPD identified a clinic that services the homeless as the location where the mothers are taken when they go into labor." Hetty answered. "Deeks' assignment is to gather information on the people going in and out of that clinic. If they can identify the doctors who are performing these deliveries they think they can get them to rollover on the people running the operation."

"What are you worried about Hetty? It doesn't sound like Deeks is in any danger." Sam wondered if she was telling them everything. Then he realized this was Hetty and he knew she wasn't.

"There's a lot of money involved and a pretty sophisticated and ruthless group running this," Hetty replied quietly. "This isn't the first time LAPD has tried to shut them down. They found the last undercover officer stuffed in a dumpster with his throat cut."

"I wish you hadn't told us that," Kensi said as she got up and walked away.

"Bugger," Hetty said and picked up her teacup and returned to her office.

The other two were silent and their thoughts were on Deeks as they finished stringing Christmas lights.

...

"July? You in there man?" Deeks threw off his blankets and pushed back the cardboard flap on the entrance to his home for the past two weeks.

"What do you want, Deacon?" Deeks groused, getting back into the character of his alias, July. He was supposed to be the resident grouch in this alley so everyone would stay away from him. Deacon and his congregation of twelve ministered to the homeless down in this part of town and ran a small mission down the street. They were good people and Deeks counted on them. They were the reason he had two blankets tonight instead of shivering in the cold. By midnight it was supposed to be in the low forties, which was very cold for LA.

"Me and my flock are passing out meals tonight and thought you might want one." Deacon smiled as he passed July a brown paper bag. He hadn't eaten since early that morning so he quickly pulled out the turkey sandwich and apple and sat down immediately and started eating. July never said thank you because he wasn't a very nice guy and most of the men that hung out in the alley didn't mess with him.

"We're having a midnight service at the mission, July, and I'd like you to join us," Deacon said in a kind voice. He was a huge black man who had been a lineman for UCLA ten years ago. Everyone thought he would go pro, but instead he had become a pastor and founded the little mission to help the homeless. Deeks liked him, but his alias, July, was wary of everyone and stayed to himself, so he was gruff with him tonight.

"Why would I do that?" July mumbled with his mouth full.

"Because it's Christmas Eve," Deacon said patiently.

"So what." July stared belligerently at the pastor with dark hooded eyes and he could hear the man sigh deeply and sadly as he stood up to leave.

"Don't you know the Christmas story, July?" Deacon asked, hoping he could get through to the angry young man.

"No, and I don't want to, so just leave me alone." July raised his voice as he spoke and the pastor shook his head and walked away. Deeks was sorry he had to be so rude, but he was pretty sure something was going down at the clinic tonight and he didn't want anybody getting hurt if this op went sideways.

He hadn't been far from this same spot for the past two weeks. The cardboard box he was living in was pretty roomy and he had a great view of the back door of the clinic. There had been a lot of people in and out for the last two hours, so he was confident something was going on.

He hoped this operation was almost over. He missed Kensi and he knew Hetty was planning a big party at the OSP center and he had been looking forward to it until this assignment came along. His childhood Christmases had been frightening affairs for him. His father had always hated the holidays and they were his excuse to get really drunk and stay that way, so Deeks spent his Christmas vacations dodging his dad's fists and trying to stay out of his way. They hadn't had a Christmas tree since he was very little, and presents were virtually nonexistent, although his mom always managed to get him something. He had looked forward to having a Christmas with his new friends this year, in a place where he felt comfortable and safe. It was something he had often longed for as a child, but now he would have to wait another year.

He finished off the sandwich, pocketed the apple and waited.

Deeks' head snapped up from his chest and he realized he had dozed off and was immediately angry with himself. He checked the watch he had hidden in his things and saw it was close to midnight. Then he saw what had woken him. A young woman had just come out of the back door of the clinic and was slowly backing toward him. He was close enough to hear her crying and he was on his feet and out the door of his cardboard box without a second thought. When she turned toward him, he realized she was pregnant.

"Please help me," she whimpered as she made her way along the side of the alley, bracing herself against the dirty brick wall. She reached out her hand to him and stumbled, but he caught her before she fell. She clung to his chest and was breathing heavily and panting to minimize the pain she was in.

"Can you make it over to that cardboard box?" he asked. She nodded and he could feel her tremble as he led her across the alley and into his temporary home. He helped her lie down and then covered her with his blankets. He lit his small flashlight and placed it under some of his clothes so he could look at her and not have the light visible from the outside. She was so young it startled him.

"How old are you?" he asked without thinking.

"Sixteen," she answered as a wave of pain made her grip his hand hard and pant as it passed.

"My name is July, what's yours?" he whispered.

"Mariana." She caught her breath as she spoke and he saw that her face was beaded with sweat.

He quickly checked the back door of the clinic and so far, no one had come out to look for her, but it wouldn't be long before they did. This baby was worth a lot of money and he knew they would be searching for this girl.

"Don't let them find me, please." She gripped his hand so hard he grimaced. "They want to take my baby." Tears wet her cheeks and he could see her raw fear even in the dim light.

Then he heard the backdoor to the clinic slam against the wall and he quickly turned out the flashlight.

"Shhh," He needed her to be quiet or they were both in trouble. He put his hand over her mouth and he felt her start to shake, but then she immediately froze when she heard a man's voice outside.

"She couldn't have gotten far," a man said quietly. His accent was Hispanic and Deeks thought he recognized his voice. And he wasn't alone.

"She wouldn't be out here at all if you had been doing your job, you dumb shit." The other man's voice was husky and mean and he sounded pissed. "Check all these cardboard boxes where the homeless guys sleep. She might have crawled into one of them. She's already in labor, so that baby is coming soon and we better find her before Dr. Shaw and Mr. Harold get here."

Deeks could hear them rummaging through a couple of the empty boxes and he knew he had to confront them before they got to his place. He turned to look at the girl and signed for her to keep quiet and then he stepped out into the alley.

"Hey, what are you doing? That's not your stuff!" he shouted at the Hispanic man as he blocked the entrance to his cardboard house.

"Your name's July, right?" He said as he approached. Deeks kept his eye on the other guy, who was moving slowly to his right. He was lean and tough looking with dark tattoos on his neck and a buzz cut that revealed a couple of nasty scars he could see even in the moonlight.

"Yeah," Deeks answered harshly, trying to appear as surly as he could.

"I'm Tito and we're looking for a girl." He hesitated and Deeks remembered they'd had a run in early on over his box and Deeks had knocked him down.

"Well, you ain't gonna find any girls back here, Tito, you dumb shit" Deeks laughed coldly as he mimicked what the other man had called him.

"So you haven't seen anybody come out of that door?" The other man asked as he moved closer to Deeks.

"Just you two, but I was sleepin', so who knows." Deeks didn't like being flanked by this guy. He turned to face him as he closed the distance between them.

"This girl is pregnant," The guy said in a low growl.

"Well that's your problem, not mine," Deeks laughed out loud. "If you're dumb enough to get one pregnant and then lose her...man, you are screwed." He kept laughing as he carefully watched the man's reaction. He knew they wouldn't tell him the truth about what was going on, he just needed them to believe he wouldn't have anything to do with her, even if he had seen her.

"So you wouldn't help her if she asked?" The guy was persistent, he would give him that. But he didn't want him to get any closer in case Mariana made a sound, so he suddenly pretended to get angry and walked quickly up on the guy and began poking his finger in his chest as he berated him and made him back up.

"Listen, you shit, I did my time with a woman and she messed me over so bad I'm living in this alley!" He shouted. "I don't want nothin' to do with 'em or with you two. Now get out'a my face and leave me alone!"

The spit that was flying out of his mouth should have been reason enough for them to back away, and the smell he had cultivated by never washing his homeless clothes or bathing while undercover as July, sealed the deal. They both held up their hands and backed off. They headed in the opposite direction in search of the girl and he waited until they went around the corner to go back inside to check on her.

As he closed the flap and switched on the flashlight, he heard his service weapon being cocked and he froze.

"Mariana, put the gun down, please," he said as softly and as kindly as he could. "I want to help you."

"I heard what you said to those two men." She was breathing heavily and had the gun pointed straight at him and she looked like she knew how to use it. "Why did you bring me in here?" She kept her voice low, but her eyes were flashing with anger and defiance.

"Mariana, I'm a cop," Deeks said quietly. "I'm working undercover to try and shut down what those men are doing at the clinic. I only told those men what was needed to keep them from coming in here and finding you." Deeks kept his hands in front of him as he tried to convince her he was on her side.

"Why should I believe you?" She gasped as a contraction hit her and she dropped the gun, but she didn't cry out.

Deeks quickly grabbed the weapon and put it behind him. He went to her side and grabbed both her hands as she began breathing rapidly to ease the pain. She stared at him and he smiled in an attempt to put her at ease. When the contraction stopped she still seemed wary of him.

"I'm not lying to you, Mariana," Deeks said as he pulled the blankets over her.

"My father's a cop," she suddenly confided. "When he found out I was pregnant, he beat my boyfriend within an inch of his life. He wouldn't let me out of the house except to take me to the clinic in our town. He's the reason I'm here. So, just because you're a cop doesn't mean I trust you."

"I'm sorry, Mariana," he said softly as he watched tears run down her cheeks. "Did he arrange for you to come here to the states to have your baby?"

"That's what the people at the clinic in Mexico told me." Mariana gripped his hands tightly as another contraction began and Deeks knew he had to get her out of here. A cardboard box in an alley was no place to give birth, especially with two thugs looking for her.

"Do you think you can walk?" Deeks asked as a plan began to form in his mind.

"Why?" The look on her face told him how scared she was and the doubt was evident in her eyes.

"You can't stay here, Mariana," he said, "If the baby comes and those men hear you..." His voice trailed off as he saw her cringe at the thought.

"Do you have children?" she asked, catching him off guard.

"No," He was hesitant to talk about this now, but the look she gave him made him realize she needed to find a connection to him, in order to trust him. And he needed her to trust him. "I'm not ready to settle down yet. Besides, in my line of work, having a family is probably not such a good idea."

"Do you like kids?" She persisted and he could see the determination that led her to run away in order to keep her child.

"Mariana, we need to go, now." He tried to be as persuasive and insistent as he could be.

"Please, answer my question," she said quietly.

"I think kids are great. I think they're the innocents of the world, who need to be protected and cared for and loved," he said softly and he felt embarrassed by having to reveal even this small part of himself to her.

"Then why don't you want children of your own...a son?" She asked and took his hand and held it tight.

He could see she was curious and it made him slightly angry. This was something he hadn't discussed with anyone, even Kensi, and here was this girl he had just met demanding he answer this most personal question.

"I didn't have the best role models for parents," he said finally, and thought that would end the conversation, but he was wrong.

"I didn't either. My father is a violent man," she said quietly looking down at his hand and then she fixed her gaze on him. "I am tough because of him, but I am not like him. I did not want him to control my life when I was young and I won't let him control my future any longer. I will be a good mother to my child in spite of having my father's blood in my veins. You have to fight for yourself, know who you are deep down and not be afraid to take a risk that you will be better than your parents."

"How old did you say you were again?" Deeks smiled at her and shook his head. "My father was violent too. He used to beat the hell out of my mother and me and I guess...I'm just afraid that if I have a child and I get angry one day, that I will react like my father used to and hit him...and if that happens, I will never be able to forgive myself."

"So you won't take a chance on yourself?" She looked disappointed. "If you won't, then who will?"

Deeks just shook his head and wouldn't look at her. Then she cried out as another contraction came and he knew they had to go. He dug out his phone and called his case officer, but got his voicemail. Then he called Lieutenant Bates and got the same thing. He wanted to beat the crap out of both of them for leaving him stranded. His heart was pounding now and a pinprick of fear settled in his stomach. He either had to leave his post and risk blowing the operation or he had to keep her here and risk discovery by some really bad guys who would take her child and kill both of them without a moment's hesitation.

He took a deep breath and called Callen. He knew Bates would probably be angry with him for seeking help from NCIS, but right now he didn't care. He needed help and he knew he could count on Callen to at least answer his phone. Anger agitated his nerves as he listened to the phone ring multiple times and he started to get a sinking feeling that Callen would let him down as well. He was really beginning to hate this assignment.

"Deeks? You okay?"

Callen's voice raise his spirits instantly and a smile released the breath he was holding.

"I need your help," Deeks spoke quickly and quietly, briefly describing what was happening. "Will you come?"

"I'll be there."

Deeks felt himself shiver as anxiety flushed through his body. He described where Callen could find him and he asked him to dress scruffy in case they ran into the two men from the clinic, checking outside as he spoke.

"Shit!"

"Deeks?" Callen was instantly alert and fearful at the same time.

"Just come as fast as you can," Then Deeks ended the call and stepped outside as Tito walked toward him. He was bleeding from the mouth and a cut over his left eye and he was pissed.

"You seen that girl, July?" Tito asked and that's when Deeks noticed he was carrying a knife by his side. "Cause if you're hiding her, I'm gonna kill your sorry ass."

"That other guy beat you up, Tito?" July laughed hoarsely and moved out toward the middle of the alley, away from where Mariana waited in his cardboard house. "I already told you, I didn't see her. You deaf or something?"

Deeks began to prepare himself for a fight. He knew Callen was at least a half an hour away, if he had been home, or longer if he had still been at OSP. Either way, Deeks knew he was on his own with Tito and he wasn't feeling too confident about the outcome. Then his mind recalled Mariana's bravery in defying her father and the people who wanted to take her child without her permission, and he became bound and determined to protect her at all costs.

"The head guy is here and he wants that baby!" Tito charged him then, swiping the knife at Deeks and missing by inches. Deeks' fist caught him just above the ear and he went down to his hands and knees. As Deeks went for the knockout, Tito drove his shoulder into Deeks' stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs as he landed on top of him and bringing the knife down toward Deeks' chest. He was able to block the thrust, but the blade sliced through his sleeve and cut to into his forearm and he gasped at the sudden flash of pain. He slammed his fist as hard as he could into Tito's nose, hearing a satisfying crunch and then quickly kicked him off of his chest, pounding him in the face until he was still.

Deeks stumbled to his feet breathing hard. He picked up the knife and threw it in a dumpster. He dragged the groaning Tito over behind the dumpster, hoping he would stay unconscious long enough for him to get Mariana to safety.

When he entered his cardboard home, he staggered and then dropped to his knees as his breath came in ragged gasps.

"July, are you okay?" Mariana's face was filled with concern and he put his hand up to reassure her.

"I'm good," he smiled as he took up his observation post by the entrance to see if anyone else was coming out of the clinic.

"Did you kill that man?" she asked softly.

"No, but he's not as attractive as he used to be," Deeks said breathlessly and got a bright smile for his smart comment. He thought it was the first time she looked her age.

"You fought to protect me." Her statement came with a look of amazement and he saw more tears spill down her cheek, which she wiped slowly away as she stared at him. "Thank you."

Before he could say anything, he heard movement outside and this time he grabbed his service weapon, knowing he didn't have the energy for another fistfight. He stepped outside with his gun by his side and saw the smiling face of Sam Hannah and the tension drained from his body.

"Hey Deeks, nice house," Sam said quietly as he was joined by Callen.

"Yeah, it was on the cover of Architectural Digest just last month." Deeks shook their hands as he made his comment and got the laugh he was looking for. He knew he shouldn't have been surprised that Sam came along, but the fact that he did touched him.

"You really stink, Deeks," Callen wrinkled his nose as he followed the cop inside his cardboard room.

In the soft glow of the interior the three men looked down on Mariana as she struggled through another round of contractions. Sam was next to her in an instant, helping her breathe and speaking to her calmly.

"This is Mariana," Deeks said, making the introductions and assuring her that Sam and Callen were the good guys.

"What's the plan, Deeks?" Callen asked as he took Deeks by the arm to lead him out of the crowded space. Deeks cried out as pain shot through his arm from the stab wound he had gotten in the fight. Callen shined his flashlight down on his arm and saw it was covered in blood.

"I forgot to mention the knife fight," Deeks mumbled as they helped him take off his jacket. His sleeve was soaked in blood and Sam made him sit down as he tore a strip off one of the blankets for a bandage.

"You're gonna need a lot of stitches when this is over," Sam tied the bandage as tightly as he could to help stop the bleeding. "And you're gonna need more training on how to defend yourself in a knife fight." Then he laughed softly as Deeks groaned.

"We've got to get Mariana out of here before the baby comes and guys from the clinic figure out she's here." Deeks struggled back into his coat as he got to his feet. "We can take her to the mission and call an ambulance from there. The pastor is a good guy and they're having a midnight service so I know somebody will be there."

Callen and Sam nodded and helped Mariana to her feet and out of the box as Deeks kept watch. Once they were outside, Sam picked her up easily and they walked toward the mission. It was the first time Deeks felt confident that everything was going to turn out okay.

...

Deacon Jackson was putting away the song sheets when he heard someone come in the side door. Very few people knew about the side entrance so he was instantly on alert. He had been working these streets almost eight years and he knew to be ready for anything. The area had gotten rougher in the last couple of years and sometimes he worried about his dedicated group of followers, especially the women. Most came from hard backgrounds like he had, so they could handle themselves, but that group from the clinic attracted a group of thugs even he was wary of.

"Who's there!" he called out in a booming voice as he stood holding a baseball bat in his strong hands.

"It's July, Deacon." The angry young man he had invited to the Christmas service walked into the main room, his left sleeve and hand was bloody, and Deacon's eyes narrowed as another man with a buzz cut followed him.

"You're a little late for the service, July," Deacon said warily, with a hint of menace in his voice.

"Baseball bat part of your religious ritual, pastor?" the man with the buzz cut questioned with a smirk.

"It is around here," Deacon replied. He took a step back when a black man carrying a pregnant girl came in behind them. "Are you two from the clinic?" Then he raised his baseball bat, but stopped when the blue-eyed man with the buzz cut flashed a badge.

"Federal agents," he said calmly. "Callen and Sam Hannah, and July here, is Detective Marty Deeks, LAPD. He's undercover."

"You're a cop?" Deacon was stunned as he stared at Deeks.

"Yeah, and Mariana escaped from the clinic and she's in labor." Deeks moved quickly to Mariana as Sam set her on her feet. "We need your help."

Mariana cried out as a new contraction doubled her over. They were coming closer together now, and Deeks could see the look of concern on Sam's face.

"This baby is coming now!" Sam picked her up and carried her to the raised platform at the front of the little mission church. The congregants had set up a Nativity scene there and after they cleared out the plastic figures and Deacon had laid down blankets, Sam laid Mariana on the soft straw and started preparing for the delivery.

"Shouldn't we call an ambulance?" Deeks asked as he began to worry.

"Didn't they teach you how to deliver a baby at the police academy, Deeks?" Callen laughed softly, but the look on his face betrayed his own nervousness.

"Too late, now, this baby's coming," Sam said.

Mariana grabbed Deeks' hands and squeezed so hard he almost yelled himself. She kept her eyes on him the whole time as he helped her breathe through the worst of it. During the final push, she cried out mightily and Deeks was afraid it would be heard all the way back at the clinic. Then Sam smiled as he held up a healthy little boy and placed him on his mother's chest. His cries brought smiles all around and Deeks felt a lump in his throat as Mariana's eyes found his and she mouthed a silent thank you.

"I have to get back undercover," Deeks said as he stood. "Can you guys stay with her and get her to the hospital?"

"Do you have to go?" Mariana asked with concern.

"You've got the 'Three Wise Men' here to watch over you," Deeks said smiling, as he looked back at a mother and child wrapped in a blanket with three strong men surrounding her protectively.

"Make that two wise men and one shepherd," Deacon corrected happily.

"If we're the wise men, then what are you Deeks?" Sam asked with a laugh.

"He's my guardian angel," Mariana said softly and Deeks blushed.

...

Deeks was soon out the door and practically floated back to his cardboard box. He had never seen a baby being born and he was amazed at the emotions that stirred within him when Sam held up the child. It gave him a warm feeling of hope and dispelled some of the fear he had about being a father. He and Kensi had never talked about having children. They had never even spoken about getting married; afraid they would jinx themselves he thought. But after tonight, he wanted to have that conversation with her and that gave him a feeling of peace.

"Where you been, July?" Deeks froze as a man stepped up behind him. He had not been paying attention and it had cost him. He felt the gun barrel on the back of his neck as two other men came out of his cardboard box and one was holding his gun and his phone and the small camera he used for surveillance. The man behind him was the one who had been searching for the girl with Tito.

"I said where you been?" The man punched him low in the back and he stumbled forward. The other two caught him and he went down as one slugged him twice in the stomach.

"You a cop, July?" The men pulled him to his feet and began pushing him toward the back door of the clinic. Once inside they shoved him down a hall and into a small operating room. He was knocked to the floor in front of a well-dressed man wearing an expensive overcoat. Deeks hadn't spoken since they took him, and he thought he would keep it that way.

"Is he a cop, Weaver?" The well-dressed man asked.

"He's not talking, Mr. Harold."

"Isn't it your job to make people talk?"

The three men began kicking Deeks then and he rolled into a ball trying to protect his ribs. A kick in the head knocked him out briefly but the doctor present revived him and they hauled him back to his feet in front of Mr. Harold.

"Get some of those smelly clothes off of him, he's disgusting," Harold commanded as he stepped back holding a handkerchief to his nose. It made Deeks smile as his hat and jacket were pulled off and he stood swaying slightly in front of the man.

"Where's the pregnant girl?"

Deeks spit blood on the floor in front of the man and watched a cold, steely look form in his eyes. The man backhanded him across the mouth and he stumbled, only to be hit in the back by Weaver. He collapsed to his knees and two men grabbed his arms and held him there.

"I want that baby," Harold shouted down at him. "It's worth a lot of money to me and I'm not going to let some two-bit cop keep me from what is mine."

Deeks felt raw anger explode in his chest as he thought about the beautiful little baby boy he had watched come into this world and the brave young girl who had defied everyone to keep him.

"That baby isn't yours, you sick bastard," Deeks shouted at him. "You're not God! He belongs with his mother." Deeks was shocked at what he had said and knew he had blown it and his head dropped to his chest as his heart began to pound.

"You know where that baby is, don't you?" The venom in the man's voice was icy cold. Deeks felt Weaver's hand crawl through his hair and tighten as he grabbed a handful and yanked back hard, exposing Deeks' throat to a knife that Mr. Harold now held in his hand.

"Tell me now cop, or you'll wish you had." Mr. Harold's voice hissed out as he drew the knife lightly across Deeks' neck, leaving a line of blood in its wake.

Deeks closed his eyes and focused his mind on the smile on Mariana's face when she first saw her son. He thought how magical it would be to see that look on Kensi's face someday. But now, that was only an unattainable dream, because he knew he would never give up Mariana's location and that her child was the only one he would ever see born.

...

"Thanks for your help, Deacon," Sam gave the big man a hug before the pastor got in the ambulance to go to the hospital with the girl and her baby.

"Tell July he did a good thing tonight," Deacon said seriously.

"Will do," Sam replied and the two agents smiled at each other as the ambulance silently rolled down the street.

"Let's stop by Deeks' little cardboard house and let him know she's on her way to the hospital," Callen said as he slapped Sam on the back.

"The birth of that baby seems to have cheered you up, G." Sam smiled at his partner.

"Gave me a whole new perspective on the holidays," Callen said with a smile. "And it beats stringing Christmas lights."

They walked the rest of the way to Deeks' cardboard house in silence.

"Deeks," Callen spoke softly and pushed open the flap that served as the door. The place was empty and the two agents looked at each other with fear in their eyes and pulled their guns. They moved quickly toward the back door of the clinic. The door was slightly ajar and they entered soundlessly. They moved in unison down the dimly lit hall until they heard voices. Then they heard Deeks' voice, followed by a jagged cry of pain, and they both entered shouting, "Federal agents!"

Deeks was on his knees between two men with blood seeping from knife wounds on his chest. Callen noticed the shocked look on the face of the man holding the knife over Deeks and fired two bullets into his chest as he turned toward the two agents. The man holding Deeks' head back shoved him to the floor as he reached for his gun, but Sam quickly shot him and he crumpled against the wall. They yelled for the other two men to get down on the floor, but one tried to run. Deeks kicked him in the ankle as he ran past and he tumbled to the floor. Sam was on him in an instant. The other man surrendered and Callen cuffed him.

"There's a doctor here somewhere," Deeks shouted as he struggled to his feet. "We need to find him. He's the one who delivers the babies."

"I'll find him," Callen said as Deeks braced himself against the operating table, gasping in pain.

"I've got you Deeks," Sam said softly as he wrapped his arm around his waist and draped his arm over his shoulder to support him and helped him to a chair in the office next door.

"Sam, can I borrow your phone? They took mine and I need to call Bates," Deeks asked as Sam pulled his shirt back to get a look at his wounds.

"Bates can wait, Deeks," Sam said firmly as he looked for antiseptic. When he turned back around, Deeks slipped slowly out of the chair and fell unconscious to the floor. Sam rolled him onto his back and went and found the supplies he needed, covering him with a blanket and cleaning the wounds and stopping the bleeding as best he could.

"Is he okay?" Callen asked as he pushed the doctor into the room.

"He will be," Sam stared at the doctor. "What's your name," Sam asked the cowering doctor.

"I'm Doctor Shaw," the man said nervously.

"Well make yourself useful, he needs stitches on these cuts," Sam said menacingly and the doctor nodded.

"If you can get him up on the table, I'll take care of him," Shaw said, relaxing a little as he found his comfort zone doing what he was trained to do.

The doctor was as good as his word and all of Deeks' wounds were soon being sutured. Sam stood over the doctor as he worked on Deeks, and grew angrier as he realized the pain the young cop had endured to protect the girl and her baby.

"I talked with Hetty, and she's alerting Lieutenant Bates," Callen said. "Sam, you okay?" Callen could see that his partner was having trouble containing his anger.

"What if we hadn't been here to back him up, G?" Sam said as he pulled a blanket over Deeks while the doctor checked his vitals. "These guys would have killed him and the girl probably would be dead too."

"Deeks said he tried to reach his case officer and Bates, before he called me. Neither one answered their phone." Callen told him. "LAPD wasn't exactly on top of their game tonight."

"He needs to sign those papers for NCIS and get out of the LAPD before they get him killed." Sam's eyes flashed as he spoke.

Deeks began to wake up as the doctor gave him something for the pain. He looked pale and very tired, but he smiled when he saw Sam tucking the blanket in around him.

"Are you my nurse again, Sam?" he laughed lightly and tried to raise his head, only to grimace as the stitches pulled with his effort.

"Yeah, now lie back and be still," Sam commanded.

"I'm fine, Sam," Deeks' face turned serious as he realized Sam's concern. "Did Mariana get to the hospital okay?"

"Deacon went with her," Callen said as he cuffed the doctor.

"You don't need to do this," Dr. Shaw protested.

"Shut up!" Deeks yelled at him and the two agents were surprised as rage darkened the cop's face. "You were as much a part of this as the dead guy in the other room. You took newborns away from their mothers and sold them, you prick. And you didn't say anything when some of those mothers were killed; you just took the money and let it go on. So you can rot in hell for all I care." Deeks was breathing hard when he finished and Sam put his hand on his shoulder to calm him down as Callen pushed the doctor out of the room.

Suddenly, the front door of the clinic was pushed in and an LAPD team streamed in, led by Lieutenant Bates. He walked the scene in silence, finally stopping next to the table Deeks was lying on.

"I see your loyalty is still with NCIS, Deeks," Bates was pissed as he looked at Sam and then confronted his detective.

"Try answering your phone, Bates. He'd be dead if he had waited for you to show up," Sam's voice was filled with pent up anger as he stood protectively by Deeks.

"You should have called your case officer, Deeks, instead of falling back on your buddies at NCIS," Bates raised his voice and Deeks shook his head in disbelief. He struggled to sit up and pushed Sam away as he tried to stop him. Sitting on the edge of the table, he stared defiantly at his lieutenant.

"I did call! I called Mitchell and he didn't pick up and then I called you and got no answer." Deeks anger was evident as he berated the man. "I had a pregnant sixteen year old girl who was in labor on my hands. Two thugs were looking for her and you didn't answer my call. I needed help, Bates, and LAPD wasn't there to back me up. Callen and Sam came when I called."

"We can discuss the details later, Deeks," Bates looked furious as he stared at Deeks after his outburst.

"There won't be a later, Lieutenant Bates," Deeks said softly. "I'm resigning."

They were all silent as Deeks' decision hung in the air. Callen walked over to stand next to Sam and the two agents waited for Bates' reaction. Deeks' chin rested on his chest as he stared at the floor. Then he looked wearily up at Callen and Sam and he smiled and let out a deep sigh. Sam rested his hand on Deeks' shoulder and nodded his approval.

"I guess I'm not surprised, Deeks," Bates remarked and turned to go. "I'll get the paperwork started." Then he walked out.

"Well, Deeks, how about you let your fellow agents take you to see our Christmas baby?" Callen said with a smirk.

"Not before he takes a shower," Sam said as they helped Deeks off the table. "He's definitely unsanitary."

"I don't smell that bad, Sam," Deeks said unconvincingly.

"Oh yeah you do," Callen laughed. "We just may have to burn those homeless clothes of yours as an initiation into NCIS."

"You wouldn't," Deeks looked appalled at the thought. "Wait, you have an initiation? Really?"

"You have no idea what Hetty can come up with in that department," Callen said and he sounded serious.

"Changing your mind, Deeks?" Sam asked as he saw a look of doubt cloud his face.

The two federal agents supported the new recruit between them as they walked out of the clinic. It was morning and they were going to see a baby born in a manger, and it seemed an appropriate way to begin Christmas day.

...

Epilogue

Kensi ran to him as soon as she saw him walk into the hospital, his hair still damp from the shower. He held his hands up to stop her before she collided with his chest. He didn't think he would still be standing if she had. He felt giddy as she kissed him softly, managing to avoid his split lip and the contusions around his eyes. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they walked over to join Hetty. Sam and Callen followed, silently smiling to themselves at the secret news the three of them were harboring.

"Mr. Deeks, it's so good to see you're all right," Hetty said enthusiastically. "I took the liberty of bringing these for you." She handed him a file folder and when he opened it to find the papers he needed to sign to become an NCIS agent, he was stunned, as were Callen and Sam.

"Hetty, how did you know? I just resigned... less than an hour ago?" Deeks stumbled over the words as Sam smiled and shook his head, and Callen laughed and clapped Deeks on the back.

"Lieutenant Bates called me," she smiled innocently. "He is rather a grumpy man right now Mr. Deeks. I think he's going to miss you."

"I doubt that, Hetty," Deeks said seriously. "He didn't even like me when I was there, so why would he miss me?"

"Well, he tried to get me to talk you out of leaving the LAPD," Hetty told him quietly. "But, I declined to do so. You're ours now Mr. Deeks."

"What's this I hear about an initiation?" Deeks asked hesitantly.

"All that will come soon enough, Mr. Deeks," Hetty said, waving her hand in the air as she led the way to the Maternity ward.

Deeks gave Callen a startled look as he followed the laughing agents.

"Don't worry partner, I've got your back," Kensi pulled him close, thrilled at what the new year would bring.

...

Mariana had just finished nursing the baby when Deeks entered with Kensi and the others. He felt his heart swell as he found the two of them looking healthy and happy. Mariana looked so very young in the bright lights of the hospital room and he was again amazed by her strength of character.

"July, I've been wondering if you would come," Mariana called out cheerfully. Her smile was huge as Deeks peered down at the little boy fussing on her chest.

"Call me Marty," Deeks said softly, never taking his eyes off the child.

"I'm Kensi."

"Sorry, Kens, I should have introduced you," Deeks looked briefly embarrassed, and then reached his hand down toward the baby, fascinated by his tiny hands. Suddenly, tiny fingers wrapped themselves around one of his fingers and he felt like an electric shock had gone through his body. His breath caught in his chest as a feeling of total warmth and comfort infused his whole body and his face lit up like a Christmas tree. At least that's how Kensi described it later to Nell.

"I see you brought the wise men with you," Mariana laughed brightly. "The shepherd went home a little while ago. Deacon is such a kind man."

"Mariana, I have some news for you," Hetty stepped forward and took the young girl's hand. "Your father is on his way here to see you..."

"No!' Mariana shouted as she yanked her hand free of Hetty's grasp and pulled her little boy closer. "He will take my baby away!" Tears welled in her eyes as she looked to Deeks for help, knowing he knew why she was afraid.

"Hetty, he's the one who arranged for Harold and his gang to bring her up here," Deeks' look of concern caused them all to turn towards Hetty for an explanation.

"Please let me finish, Mr. Deeks," Hetty said softly. "Mariana, your father had nothing to do with having you brought to LA to have your baby. The people at the clinic in Mexico worked for Mr. Harold, and they lied to you. When your father found out they had kidnapped you to steal your baby, he had them shut down and the staff arrested. He contacted the FBI and told them what had happened and they contacted the LAPD and subsequently, Lieutenant Bates. Bates was in a meeting with the FBI when you tried to contact him last night, Mr. Deeks."

"I'm still afraid he will make me give up my baby," Mariana whispered and reached out to Deeks. He held her hand tightly as he had when she was in labor and they could all see he was prepared to protect her and the child all over again.

"He's not coming alone, Mariana," Hetty told her calmly. "Manolo Cruz is coming with him."

"Manolo is with my father?" Mariana looked stunned. "He's my boyfriend and the father of my baby."

"Apparently, Manolo was at the clinic demanding to see you when your father came in and demanded the same thing." Hetty continued her story. "When your father saw how much Manolo wanted to find you and his baby, the two of them bonded and worked together to discover what had happened."

Mariana began to cry and Deeks smiled and shook his head in amazement.

"Now, that's what I call a happy ending," Sam said with a laugh.

A nurse came in with some papers for Mariana to sign and some questions, so everyone became quiet.

"Are you sure about the name you've chosen?" the nurse asked. "It's awfully long."

Mariana wiped her tears and nodded.

"What is his name, anyway?" Deeks asked.

"Immanuel Martin Samuel G. Deacon Cruz."

They all erupted in laughter as the nurse left shaking her head.

"Merry Christmas everyone," Hetty said as she pulled out cigars for all of them.

...

**Wishing You All Peace and Joy this Christmas!**


End file.
